


on Wednesday we fell

by Bellakitse



Series: 30 days of Tarlos [17]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Comfort, Firefighter Carlos Reyes, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:13:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24780634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bellakitse/pseuds/Bellakitse
Summary: Carlos has been part of the 126 for three months now, every day TK falls for him a little more. After a nightmare, TK can't hold back his feelings anymore.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Series: 30 days of Tarlos [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769356
Comments: 21
Kudos: 340





	on Wednesday we fell

**Author's Note:**

> 30 days of Tarlos - Day 17

When the ladder engine rolls into its spot, TK is still buzzing with adrenaline from their last call; he can feel it coursing through him as he jumps off the truck.

“Repelling from a side of a cliff,” he sighs out loudly with a satisfied grin as he turns to his friends. “I _love_ our job.”

Paul snorts as he comes up behind him. “What you _love_ is being a show-off.”

“I did it better,” Marjan adds proudly, smirking when he rolls his eyes at her.

“At least you got to climb down too,” Mateo complains, pouting at all of them. “All I did was hold the rope.”

“ _Children_ – I work with _children_ ,” Judd groans over all of them, already walking away as he heads for the common room. The rest follow him.

TK watches them leave, shaking his head with delight as they keep talking over each other, annoying Judd further. He turns when the door to the truck slams behind him to catch Carlos Reyes, their newest member climb down the engine truck. When their eyes meet, he finds him looking at him with amusement.

“You’re practically vibrating right now,” he tells him, the pitch of his voice fond. It makes TK’s heart skip like usual.

Carlos has been part of their team for three months now, and in that time, TK has learned a few things. One, Carlos does _absolutely_ charm the pants off everyone in the crew like he thought he would. Two, Judd and Michelle did not for one second embellish about his abilities as a firefighter; he’s just that good. Three, if possible, he’s an even better cook than he is a firefighter, and that’s saying something. He and Paul are in a competition to see who is the king of the kitchen, and if they keep it up, none of them are going to fit into their uniforms soon. Four, he makes TK’s heart trip all over itself when he looks at him like he’s looking at him right now, brown eyes twinkling with affection.

“It’s not that bad,” he protests. He tries to glare at him but just can’t when faced with the wide smile on Carlos’ face.

“TK,” Carlos starts, the corners of his eyes crinkling from his smile. “I have seen my ten-year-old niece less hyped up than you are right now after eating about a pound of candy.”

“Ha, ha, ha, funny,” he says dryly with a frown, earning a loud laugh from Carlos.

“You’re cute when you pout,” he tells him, sending his heart racing again as his mouth goes dry.

It’s like this all the time; they’ll be talking, Carlos compliments him, it short circuits his brain and the tension between them builds. He doesn’t know what it is; with anyone else, he would make a joke about it, flirt back. Hell, with someone else, he would have had them in his bed already. It’s not bragging when it’s true, and it’s a fact that he’s very good at getting people into his bed. With Carlos though, he finds himself freezing up.

“It’s Wednesday, my turn to cook,” Carlos continues smoothly, giving him an out from responding like always. “Do you wanna help me?”

“Me? You’re not afraid I’ll ruin your meal?” he questions, pointing at himself, both grateful that Carlos never lets it get awkward, but also disappointed by the easy out.

He knows there is something between them; their _team_ knows it too if the looks they send their way are anything to go by, and yet he can’t seem to make a move.

But the thing is, in the three months Carlos has been in the 126, on top of being a good teammate and a good cook, Carlos has also become a good friend to all of them, but especially to him. At first, it was that TK wanted him to feel welcomed, Carlos’ comments about his old firehouse driving him to make sure he always felt like he belonged with them. Then as he got to know the funny, considerate guy he is, proving that if he’s beautiful on the outside, he’s even more beautiful on the inside. TK spent more and more time with him because he couldn’t get enough of the happiness Carlos’ presence created inside him.

These days TK can’t imagine a life where Carlos Reyes isn’t his friend, and because of it, the idea of pursuing him romantically has become the scariest thing in the world.

Repelling down a cliff to get to an overturned car at the edge, no problem, telling his friend that he’s fallen for him, terrifying.

“You can’t ruin it,” Carlos interrupts his thoughts, placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezing it. Just another thing he loves about Carlos, he’d quickly realized that TK thrives on touch for affection and reassurance and offers it freely. “I’ll be right there next to you if you need help with anything, we’re a team.”

TK swallows hard; he knows that on the surface, Carlos is talking about dinner, yet his words mean so much more than that.

“Okay,” he says quietly, earning another smile from Carlos. “Let’s do something good but easy.”

Carlos chuckles as he throws an arm over his shoulder, pulling him close as they walk towards the kitchen. “Good and easy,” he grins at him. “We can do that.”

֍֍֍

TK wakes up with a jerk and a hand over his thundering heartbeat as he struggles with taking a breath.

“Hey, hey, hey, slow and steady,” Carlos whispers, the hand he has on his chest presses a little harder, anchoring him as he tries to do what Carlos asks. “That’s good, TK, take another deep breath for me – exhale slowly.”

TK sucks in a breath, holding it for a moment before breathing out.

“Good,” Carlos whispers again, there is an encouraging smile on his face that is betrayed by the worry in his eyes. He keeps his hand on TK’s chest, rubbing at it softly until his heartbeat is steadier.

“Wanna talk about it?” he asks him quietly.

TK looks around the dorm, sighing with relief that no one else has woken up because of his nightmare.

“Not here?” he questions as he worries his bottom lip, he lets out a relieved breath when Carlos nods and gets up from his bed. He holds out his hand for him; taking it, TK lets Carlos take him out of the dorms to the common room.

He lets go of the hand to bring his arms around himself, rubbing them up and down his skin when he feels the AC hit him.

“Here,” Carlos says, shrugging out of his Austin Fire hoodie. TK shakes his head, but Carlos is already helping him into the grey hoodie, going as far as zipping it up for him. “Don’t worry, I run hot,” he tells him with a gentle smile as he runs his hands over TK’s covered arms. “There, that’s better.”

TK feels a rush of warmth that has nothing to do with the hoodie and everything to do with the care Carlos has with him.

“Let’s sit,” he says, guiding him to the couch, keeping himself close as they sit down. There is nothing but quiet for a long time before Carlos speaks.

“We don’t have to talk about it,” he says gently. “We can just sit here if you want.”

TK flashes him a ghost of a smile, grateful for the offer; he knows it’s sincere. Carlos would be more than okay with just sitting there, not talking, and losing sleep if it’s what TK needs.

“I was dreaming about my OD,” he tells him instead, his stomach clenching when Carlos takes in a sharp inhale.

Carlos knows about his history with substances; he’d made a point of telling him a few weeks after he’d been working with them. The rest of the team knew, and he didn’t want to hide it from Carlos. He still remembers how Carlos had listened, never once looking at him with judgment. When he’d finished, Carlos quietly thanked him for telling him before pulling him into a hug, whispering in his ear that even if it didn’t mean much coming from someone he didn’t know well, he was proud of him.

“I dreamt I didn’t wake up,” he says, blushing with shame when his voice cracks.

Carlos makes a wounded noise in the back of his throat before pulling him into his arms. TK sinks into the embrace, holding Carlos tighter when he feels him shake.

They stay like that for a while just holding each other, TK’s face tucked into the crook of Carlos’ neck while Carlos runs his hands up and down his back, murmuring barely heard nonsense in his ear. It makes TK’s eyes sting at the way Carlos cares for him gently, his hold on him is safe and protective.

When he feels calm again, he gently pulls back from the embrace; his heart squeezes tight as he finds tear tracks on Carlos’ face.

“Tell me something,” he whispers as he raises a hand to wipe them away.

“Like what?” Carlos asks, sniffing loudly; he looks at TK with kindness, eager to make him feel better.

“Anything,” he continues as he starts to smile. “Tell me something completely random.”

Carlos thinks for a moment before his face brightens, a smile on his lips before he even speaks. “Worms have no arms, legs, or eyes, but they have five hearts,” he says, obviously pleased with himself.

“Why on earth do you know that?” he questions with a confused chuckle.

“Worms freak me out,” Carlos tells him, making a face. “All wormy and gross, so I read up on them.”

TK stares at him for a moment in awe, this ridiculous, wonderful man who cares for him after a nightmare, comforts him, holds him close, and then finds a way to make him feel better and realizes he just can’t keep his feelings to himself for one more second. “I like you, Carlos,” he says quietly, heart in his throat as he speaks.

Carlos looks back at him, his brown eyes the gentlest he’s ever seen them. “I know, TK,” he whispers back. “I like you too.”

TK takes in a breath, deep down he’s known from the beginning that what he’s feeling isn’t one-sided. You can’t feel what he feels for Carlos and be in it alone, but it’s still a shock to hear the words he’s wanted to hear for so long out loud.

“You didn’t say anything,” he questions softly.

“You didn’t seem ready to hear it,” Carlos answers with a small lift of his shoulder. “I love being your friend; I’m okay with waiting until you’re ready for us to be more.”

“I love being your friend too, and your teammate,” TK tells him quickly. “You belong with us.”

Carlos smiles at his words; he reaches out, taking his hand. “Thank you, TK,” he says softly. “That means everything to me.”

TK smiles back at him, swallowing hard. “That’s why I haven’t pushed _this_ ,” he says, waving a hand between them. “I didn’t want to ruin our friendship or our team with my feelings for you.”

“What did I say earlier about dinner?” Carlos asks him; he lets go of his hand to cup his face. “You can’t ruin it, not dinner, and certainly not this, because I’m right here with you. You and me, we’re a team no matter what.”

“You’re so sure,” he murmurs, raising his hands to rest over Carlos’ as he holds his face.

“Because I know how I feel about you,” Carlos answers. “It’s like nothing I have ever felt before. The day we met, my heart decided you were the one, and that hasn’t faltered for a second, that feeling just grows with each passing day.”

TK lets out a shaky breath, overwhelmed by Carlos’ confession. “You can’t tell me that and not kiss me,” he tells him, his voice quivering with the emotions swirling inside him.

Carlos inhales, his hold on TK’s face tightening a fraction. “Are you sure?” he whispers, his mouth inches away from his.

TK nods, letting out a wet happy laugh. “ _Yeah_ ,” he breathes out, running his hands up his arms. “I feel exactly the same way, Carlos.”

He feels Carlos’ smile against his mouth as he gives him the gentlest of kisses, the pressure stays light as Carlos takes his time learning the curve of his mouth with his. He only presses harder, deepening the kiss when TK lets out a whine, the touch of his tongue against his makes TK gasp.

When they part, both breathing heavily, TK opens his eyes to find Carlos looking at him with wonder.

“I knew that would be amazing,” he whispers, grinning as the words cause TK to blush. “ _We_ are going to be amazing.”

“Yeah?” he asks softly, hope coursing through him at Carlos’ sureness.

“Yes, sweetheart,” Carlos promises him, brushing his mouth against his once more. “Because no matter what, you and I will always be a team.”

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](https://bellakitse.tumblr.com/)


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